Audiolab Reviews 9

Bought Audiolab amplifier from authorized German dealer (3-year warranty). Developed transformer hum.
Audiolab UK sent me to Czech distributor RP Audio - they refused warranty repair because product bought in Germany.
Audiolab UK response: distributors aren’t obliged to honor warranties without “contract of sale” - sent me back to German dealer.
Getting response from Audiolab is extremely difficult. When they finally reply, it’s just vague, evasive answers that dodge responsibility.
Bottom line: Premium brand with bureaucratic warranty excuses. If you buy Audiolab outside your home country, expect to ship it back for any repairs.
Completely put off the brand.
Model: 6000A Play

I've owned the Audiolab 6000N network streamer for a couple of years now. It's always been difficult to connect to a wifi network, but now it won't connect at all. The DTS Play-Fi app is by far the worst app I've seen in my 25+ years in information systems. I see poor reviews al over for the same reason, but they don't seem to get it because they are selling the 7000N with the same junk app. I had planned on buying their CD transport and possibly and amp, but not anymore. I wouldn't own or recommend anything they sell as Audiolab seems to be out of touch with technology.

I putchased an Audiolab 8300A and 8300CDQ from my local dealer.
I bought this specific combination for a reason. That being to have additional line outs and a larger array of inputs.
I got the products home and was happy, but soon I noticed problems.
There's a remote link on all their products, so if you connect a 3.5 link cable between them, you can turn on and off all the items at once. This is something i didn't use.
Anyway, I noticed the remote would turn on everything at once or turn off everything at once. Tge volume control would operate both the CDQ and 8000A.
There's functions on the remote so you press A for Amp, C for CD.
Regardless of what I pressed, this keeps happening.
I spoke to the store (that I've used for years, trust and don't hold accountable in any way) and they too agreed this shouldn't happen.
They gave me a direct contact number and I spoke to a technician. After explaining, they too said this shouldn't happen and they got me to check my firmware. They confirmed it was up to date but sounds like a bug that would need to be patched.
So i said to that if it needs patching, will it be on their website to download, to which they said "no, it would need to be returned to us and we'd do it then send it back.
I then said " so you'd surely need to recall all these in order to patch them, including ones that are in stock rooms then?". They diverted the question and said it could be the remote control firmware too but they'd run tests and get back to me.
It went very quiet for a few weeks. I was in clise communication with the store and we were both amazed at how this is strange behaviour.
Eventually, I got a response saying "the products operate as they should ".
This is utter nonsense, having a vast experience in both home, professional broadcast and live audio equipment, this is just utter codswallop.
I explained the problem again and said "so why have a remote link connection if is basically not required because the remote controls EVERYTHING? ". They stuck to the same pathetic story.
I gradually progressed to different levels of the company , speaking to different people.
They could tell i wasn't taking their nonsense and offered to exchange the 8000A for a 8000P. I explained that this is no use, as the CDQ doesn't have enough ins and outs for my needs. I then said, if you're looking to "buy my silence", I'd accept matching mono blocks, but they declined and went back to stating "the products function as designed".
So not only did the store think tjis was strange behaviour, the original Audiolab engineer said it was not right, they then doubled back and denied everything claiming there's no problem when there clearly is.
Id not be bothered if it was a £150 piece of junk from curry's, but this is £2000 of hifi equipment!
Still pretty fuming, I took to social media. Posting this experience everywhere, using their hashtags and commented under the posts for these products.
"Audiolab" then commented, gaslighting everything andcthe whole situation and blocked me. Now if there wasn't a problem, why would you block someone?
So incase no one has guessed, Audiolab are now owned by IAG (International Audio Group). They own, distribute and manufacture Leak, quad, wharfdale, mission and Audiolab, while quickly sucking up other well known respected brands and ruining them.
So, before you buy any product, check they're not anything to do with IAG (they have a website). This company are rude, disrespectful and liars. Clearly their sole purpose is to take over known "quality premium brands" and then ruin them.
I really wish I'd gone for Musical Fidelity instead now.
Never touching IAG again and i highly suggest you steer well clear too.

This was back on 16/02/2022 and unfortunately trust pilot doesn't allow over 12 months, but I hope they see fit to allow this to stay.

Consumers need to be aware of these cowboys taking huge sums for zero return.

Incredible!!! This company fools customers into thinking they have a Warranty of 3 years but don't have any way of following through with it. After only 2 and half months my 7000 CDT failed to load CDs so I reached out to the store (HiFi Heaven - more like HiFi Hell), the supposed distributors in the US (american audio and video), and their website with no response from any of these!! Now I have the most expensive paperweight sitting in my house. I hope to get my credit card company to investigate and refund me. This company and the people behind it should be prosecuted for falsely selling equipment that fails and then fooling customers into thinking they have a warranty.

Poor build quality plagues this Audiolab Dac. 1st the HP output dropped the left channel, then the coaxial input input shiled came off, then one of the optical covers broke. Also the power implementation leaves a lot to be desired - a small adjustment in the unit's position often leads to the power in connection coming out. The DAC sound is great but real world convenience is compromised.

This is an exceptional company to deal with. Not only are their products top of the range with a long life expectancy the back up service is phenomenal. I had a problem with my set up after moving house and despite everything being well out of guaranteed they spent time on email and the phone to get me sorted out. Would never look elsewhere if changing any my hifi components.

I've used these guys a couple of times due to minor issues with equipment and found them to be first class in terms of customer support.

Poor Support from Maufacturer
I bought the Audiolab MDac Nano from Ebay, the item was new in August, so just 3 months old. Very Quickly the continously variable Volume control became faulty making the Dac useless. I contacted the manufacturer hoping they wouldoffer a replacement, but they have pushed back saying I have to approach the dealer direct. They didn't seem interested or concerned that their product became faulty so quickly, which seems at odds with their Premium Branding Audio values.
As a audio professional and having years of dealing with numerous high end Brands, I find this to be less than satisfactory. I hope others don't have to experience this kind of handwashing support.

Audiolab are an established HiFi Audio company, based at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.
In the mid to late 1990s, I purchased, many different audio components to make up a still great sounding audio system.
Recently, a mono bloc amplifier failed and despite being an old discontinued model, I was happily able to send it back to them for repair and a service.
I was SHOCKED..yesterday, (when a representative phoned me to say that the repair had been successfully completed)..at the unexpected LOW cost, of that repair!
The amp was received back this morning, and is now playing away happily, back in my HiFi system!
SO...a well deserved 5 Stars for good old fashioned, good value, quality service!
Thank You Audiolab!